Dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas



E. H. GlLL. 2,237,052

DISPENSING AND MIXING APPARATUS FOR LIQUEFIED GAS April l, '1941.

z sheets-snaai 2 Fnd Aug. 25, 1959 INVENTOR A @fl/@7% 677/ TTOEYS rr. v4 K a vw Patented Apr. l, 1941 DISPENSING AND MIXING APPARATUS FORLIQUEFIED GAS Edward H. Gill, Memphis, Tenn., assigner to J. T. Gregory,Little Rock, Ark.

Application August 23, 1939, Serial No. 291,494

9 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefiedgas employed as a means for supplying combustible vapors for burners ofthe domestic or commercial type, and the primary object is the provisionof such apparatus wherein is embodied means for establishing athermosyphon action in the storage tank of the apparatus, to the endthat uniform gas is supplied.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a storage tankfor gas generating systems having as a part thereof, means forestablishing circulation or mixing to overcome stratification and toassist surface and sub-surface vaporization of the liquid byestablishing directed agitation caused by temperature differentials inthe upper and lower portions of the storage tank.

'Ihis invention has for a further aii, the provision of a speciallyformed storage tank for liquefied gas, which comprises a generating bulbadapted to be buried in the earth and within which is contained a partof the novel structure which circulates the liquid through syphonicaction and which includes mean for collecting and directing gasesproduced by sub-surface vaporization.

A yet further object of this invention is the provision of means withina liquefied gas storage tank for establishing circulation of Vthe entiremass of liquid in definite directions through the employment of thevariation of temperature of the liquid in the upper and lower parts ofthe tank, which variation is sufficient to establish a thermo-syphoniccirculation adequate to maintain vaporization and agitation whereby auniform supply of gas is available to the dispensing means forming apart of the system.

A still further object of the instant invention is to provide aspecially formed storage tank for liquefied gas whereon is mounted ahood, which hood houses certain elements of the dispensing apparatus sothat they are quickly accessible and disposed in a. manner to receivethe gas from the main tank in an efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tank for liquefied gashaving a convexo-concave upper wall, the highest portion of which isdirectly below a hood wherein parts of the system are housed, one ofwhich parts is a regulator having an intake pipe extending through thesaid convexo-concave wall near the vertical, longitudinal axis of thetank so that gas will readily escape and not be pocketed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a storage tank forliquefied gas wherein is constructed a riser pipe, the upper end ofwhich terminates close to the outlet port for the gas which passes tothe conventional regulator mounted in a hood carried by a speciallyformed end of the storage tank wherein said riser pipe is disposed.

Specific details of construction'and the manner of combining the partsembodying this invention with the conventional type of liquefied gasapparatus, form additional objects, all of which will appear during thecourse of the following specification, referring to the accompanyingdrawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view through the storage tankof a dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas, which tank ismade in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the tank taken on line II-,IIof Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line III- III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a Vertical central sectional view through dispensing andmixing apparatus made in accordance with a modified form of theinvention; and

Fig.- 5 is a cross sectional View taken on line V--V of Fig. 4.

It is Well known in the art that propane, butane, or iso-butane are usedin creating commercial butane, and that the physical characteristics ofthese liquids are such as to establish in a storage tank, a condition ofquiescence and stratification. These liquids are further chemicallydifferent, have different molecular weights, specific gravities,viscosities, and latent heat of vaporization. In using commercial butanetherefore, it is necessary to maintain a thoroughly mixed condition ifthe favorable and desirable characteristics of the mixture are retained.

It has heretofore been the practice to store the aforesaid commercialbutane in tanks which are wholly or partially buried in the earth sothat heat exchange might occur, and therefore, a vaporization of theliquefied gas to be realized to such an extent that dispensing meansleading to the point of consumption might be continuously supplied.Those skilled in the art are familiar with the pressure requirements ofsuch tanks as designated by the numeral 8 in Fig. 1. It is with thistype of tank 6 that the parts embodying my invention are associated.

Tank 8 is mounted upon a suitable concrete base l0 and has dependingtherefrom, a generating bulb I2, which must be completely surrounded bythe earth so that heat transfer may occur. It is preferable to provide asand filling directly around generating bulb I2 and the upper part ofthis bulb .is in communication .with the interior of storage tank l. f

y A riser pipe Il is dlsposedvonthe ,vertical exi-a3" of storage tank.and extends upwardly from thev bottom of bulb I2 to a point above theliquid level I6. A group of holes 26 are provided through the wall `ofriser pipe I6 at the lower end thereof, and a plurality of perforations22 areformed through the wall of pipe I6 at a point spaced upwardly fromits lowermost end ,and slightly below the zone of connection betweentank and bulb 6 and I2 respectively. y

A deilector plate 24 forms a partition within bulb I2 and in theinstance shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is attached directly to pipe I6 andextends downwardly and outwardly to a line on the inner face of bulb I2.Perforations 22 are thereby clrcumscribed by the deflector plate orpartition 24 and gas collected below this plate will be directed throughperforations 22 as more fully hereinafter set down.

trated embodiment in Figs. 4 and 5 is amodifled form of the inventionand tank 66 is buriedin j the earth, while lthe hood 62 thereof extendsvabove the earth surface to be capped by cover 54. AThe regulator 66,filler valve 68 and vapor valve part of the tank is divided off from theupper A `number of notches 26 formed inwardly from lishes a circulationwithin the mass of liquefied gas and vapors as indicated by the arrowsin Fig. l.

Riser pipe I6 collects part of the evolved vapors and liquid andconfines it within a relatively small passageway as it passes upwardlyto a point above the level I8 of the liquefied gas in tank 8. The liquidfrom the upper central portion of tank 8 will pass down the side thereofto the bottom of generating bulb I2 and be sub- -jected to the heatwithin the earth and sand within which the bulb is buried. Thetemperature of the liquid willbe raised to its boiling point by thisheat, the bubbles of evolved gas will move upwardly along the inside ofpipe I6 as well as along the outer surface of said pipe, and in sotravelling will transfer a part of their heat to the pipe. Some of thisrising vapor will pass into pipe I6 through perforations 22 and when theliquids and gas passing into pipe I6 through holes is joined by thatentering pipe I6 through perforations 22, the collected mass willrapidly rise to the surface through pipe I6. Such action prevents thecool liquid in the top part of the tank from recondensing the gas ormixing with the warm liquid which has risen beforeit has a chance toescape from the surface. The vapor must break through the surface of theliquid and therefore, velocity must be sufficient to overcome thecohesive action between the rising vapor and the liquid. By confiningsubstantially all of the vapor within pipe I6, the high velocity upwardis established. The liquid is so agitated that its surface tension isappreciably reduced and therefore, the boiling of the liquid andevolving of the vapor is aided to a point of increasing the elciency ofthe system.

I It is possible to build a generating tank to embody the concepts ofthis invention so that it appears not as illustrated in Figs. 1 to .3inelusive, but as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The illuspart thereof by apartition 66, `which forms a defiector plate that cooperates with riserpipe 68 and perforations 10 formed therein above its lower end. Holes 12are in the lower-most part of pipe 68 so that circulation of the liquidand vapor may be established in the direction indicated by the arrows inFig. 4. The free or outermost edge of partition 66 is spaced away 1 fromthe inner surface of tank 50 by spacing lugs or similar means 14.

. In the form just described', the depending generating bulb is not usedand the tank per se is equipped with structure by means of which thethermosyphonic action may be set up t0 accomplish the objects of theinvention. Stratification or a condition of quiescence will not bepossible where the tank is built as just set down.

The gas which escapes from within the tanks 8 and 60 rises to theupper-most portion of the tanks and there escapes to regulators 30 or56. The pipes leading to said regulators terminate just inside the upperend walls of the tanks and substantially above the ends of riser pipesI6 and 68. The direction of travel of evolved gases in these tanks asindicated by the -arrows in Figs. 1 and 4 is directly to the outlet portleading to the regulators and forming the upper ends of l `tanks whereinthe liquefied gas is stored with a wall as just specified is important.This arrangement of parts is an advantage over the types of tanks andhoods heretofore employed.

It is understood that many arrangements different than those illustratedand described might be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus' described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for -liqueed gas comprising a.storage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at thebottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from withinrthe generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above thehighest liquid level; means mounted on. the pipe for directing gasgenerated within lthe said bulb through certain of the perforations inthe riser pipe; and a gas delivery pipe in connection with the storagetank above the said liquid level.

2. A .dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising astorage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at thebottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from withinthe generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above the highestliquid level; means for directing gas generated within the said bulbthrough certain of the perforations in the riser pipe; and a gasdelivery pipe in connection with the storage tank above the saidliquid'level, other of said perforations being below the certainperforations within said generating bulb to admit liquid into the riserpipe.

3. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising astorage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at thebottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from withinthe generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above the highestliquid level; means for directing gas generated within the said bulbthrough certain of the perforations in the riser pipe; and a gasdelivery pipe in connection with the storage tank above the said liquidlevel, said certain perforations being above the bottom of saidgenerating bulb, said means for directing gas generated within the bulbbeing supported above the certain perforations and extending downwardlyand outwardly from a line on the riser pipe to the inner face of saidgenerating bulb to form a partition in the latter.

4. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising astorage tank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at thebottom thereof; a perforated riser pipe extending upwardly from withinthe generating bulb to a point within the storage tank above the highestliquid level; means for directing gas generated within the said bulbthrough certain of the perforations in the riser pipe; and a gasdelivery pipe in connection with the storage tank above the said liquidlevel, said certain perforations being above the bottom of saidgenerating bulb, said means for directing gas generated within the bulbbeing supported above the certain perforations and extending downwardlyand outwardly from a line on the riser pipe to the inner face of saidgenerating bulb to form a partition in the latter, said partition beingprovided with notches in the outer edge thereof.

5. In a dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas a storagetank; a generating bulb in communication with the tank at the bottomthereof and adapted to be buried in the earth; a riser pipe extendingupwardly from the bottom of the generating bulb to a point Within thestorage tank above the liquid level thereof, said riser pipe having aseries of holes formed therein near the lower end thereof and aplurality of perforations provided therein adjacent to the zone ofconnection between the generating bulb and the said storage tank; and aninclined partition within the generating bulb in such relation to theplurality of perforations as to direct generated, rising gas the bulbtoward the perforations, said partition being formed to provide apassage for the liquid between the outer edge of said partition and theinner face of said generating bulb.

6. A dispensing and mixing apparatus for liquefied gas comprising astoragetank adapted to have the lower portion thereof buried in theearth; dispensing means in communication with the tank at the topthereof; a vertical pipe in the tank extending from the bottom of thelatter toa point above the liquid level therein, said pipe having liquidintake holes at the lower end thereof and a plurality of gas intakeperforations intermediate the ends thereof and a deflector plate in thebank inclined downwardly and outwardly from a line above theperforations to direct gas generated in the lower portion of the tanktoward said perforations.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a storage tank adapted tohold liquefied gas under pressure and to have the lower portion thereof4being formed to agitate the lower portion or the liquefied gas in thetank as the gas rises through the relatively small passageway.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a storage tank adapted to beburied in the earth and having a convexo-concave upper end wall; fillingand dispensing means including a pressure regulator, a filler valve anda vapor outlet valve carried by the said upper end wall and extendingupwardly therefrom at its highest part; and a hood provided with aremovable cover mounted on the said upper end' wall to house saidfilling and dispensing means, said pressure regulator being incommunication with the tank at the highest point on said end wall.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a storage tank adapted to beburied in the earth and having a conveXo-concave upper end wall; fillingand dispensing means including a pressure regulator, a filler valve anda vapor outlet valve carriedby the said upper end wall and extendingupwardly therefrom at its highest part; a hood provided with a removablecover mounted on the said upper end wall to house said filling anddispensing means, said pressure regulator being in communication withthe tank at the highest point on said end Wall; andy a riser pipe Withinsaid tank adapted to collect gas generated in the tank and direct thesame toward the upper parli of the tank through a relatively smallpassageway.

f EDWARD H. GILL.

